<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Long Ago and Far Away by Alonelily</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27625520">Long Ago and Far Away</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alonelily/pseuds/Alonelily'>Alonelily</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World of Warcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Celebrations, F/M, Fireworks, Requited Love, back when they were innocent little babies, before canon, but also kind of doomed love, but close, just sort of weird timeline-wise with val'sharah and all that, kissing under the stars, malfurion WHOMST, not quite canon compliant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:55:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27625520</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alonelily/pseuds/Alonelily</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Oh, look how beautiful that one is!” She turned to find his eyes on her instead of the sky.</p>
<p>“Yes, quite beautiful, I think.”</p>
<p>She fought a smile, half embarrassed, half pleased, but didn’t avert her eyes from his until he blushed and pointed at the staging area.</p>
<p>“I think they’re about to fire the big one, you don’t want to miss it.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Illidan Stormrage/Tyrande Whisperwind</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Long Ago and Far Away</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Her eyes followed another of the lights as it ascended high into the sky, anticipating the moment when it would reach the end of its trajectory and explode into a burst of light. She wasn’t disappointed as the small ember finally set ablaze and rained deep purple and bright silver into the night sky. Although she had seen fireworks many times before—the highborne could not hog the sky for themselves after all—she couldn’t help the small gasp of amazement that escaped her at the beautiful sight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Down in the city, the sound of the celebration could be heard in between the booms of the rockets, and if she took her eyes off the marvel in the sky, she could just make out the movement of the happy crowd, the pulse, the beat of them, although individual faces and bodies were too far away to distinguish. The people all gathered in the streets, on the squares, and on the balconies to watch the grand display, but the best view was to be had here, atop the hill on the field just outside the vineyards. They had snuck out here, just the two of them, and if it weren’t for the festivities occupying everyone’s attention, they surely would have been shooed away by now. Shady characters such as themselves hanging around the prized vineyards were typically frowned upon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes widened as an especially gorgeous piece lit up the night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, look how beautiful that one is!” She turned to find his eyes on her instead of the sky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, quite beautiful, I think.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She fought a smile, half embarrassed, half pleased, but didn’t avert her eyes from his until he blushed and pointed at the staging area.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think they’re about to fire the big one, you don’t want to miss it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She squinted toward the city, unable still to make anything out beside the general sway of the crowd. Still, his guess proved correct as moments later a larger rocket soared into the sky, the promise of it capturing the attention of the celebrants below and throwing the night into utter silence for the endless minute of its climb. Then, just when it seemed it would continue its ascent forever, it exploded in a grander show of colour than any of the ones before it. She didn’t look away from the sky until the last of the small lights had rained down and fizzled out into nothing. Only then did she lay back on her companion’s coat, which he had spread out underneath them when they first settled here. Beside her, he followed, and she turned her head to face him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think this is my favourite night of the entire year.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you would like it, I would light the sky for you every night of the year,” he whispered. She frowned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it were every night I don’t think it would be as special anymore.” Slowly, she saw him reach out his hand to brush a stray piece of hair out of her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Some things are just as beautiful no matter how many times you see them.” His index finger hovered over her cheek for just a moment, causing her to shiver, before he seemed to remember himself and retrieved his hand. Down in the city, some people were starting to return to their homes, while others remained stubbornly, unwilling to let the festivities end just yet. She exhaled shakily before taking a deep breath and looking up at the now unlit night sky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And here I was comforting myself that at least you wouldn’t grow tired of seeing me all the time once you go away.” She made sure to show the laugh in her voice to let him know she was joking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could never grow tired of seeing you. I’ll visit as often as I can, you know. Although I’ll still miss you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm, but after meeting so many fascinating people as you’re bound to find there, I’m afraid you’ll be terribly bored by me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never!” he raised himself up on one elbow and looked down at her smilingly. “Fascinating people are entirely overrated. They’re long-winded and due to being so fascinating, all conversations must always revolve around them and their accomplishments. You’ll likely find me at your door every weekend, dying to have a conversation with a real person.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A ‘real person’, is it? That’s a very kind way to call someone dull!” He laughed at her mock outrage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop it, you know very well you’re not dull at all! If anything you’ll be the one annoyed at seeing me too often. After all, you’ll be achieving enlightenment and spiritual fulfilment at the temple, and I’ll be the one coming to bother you all the time with ridiculous stories of the highborne and their antics.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know about enlightenment. From what I understand, the novices are usually tasked with scrubbing the floors,” she laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gazed down at her, eyes gliding over her face and smile softening to a secret little thing. Her breath caught at the intensity of his look. She had mostly been joking, but the brilliant gold of his eyes spoke to the promise of a destiny far greater than she could ever hope to grasp. He would come to travel places she could never follow, learn secrets she would never know. She would never be anything but a lowborn priestess—and if it weren’t for the sadness of knowing it would part her path from his, she would be quite happy that way—while he was destined to advance in his field, to rise in the ranks of society, despite his low birth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, as if afraid she would evaporate at his touch, he placed his hand at her waist and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her lips. He knew of course that they were headed in different directions, just as well as she did. But he could be stubborn when he wanted to and evidently he’d set his mind to rebelling against prophecy, to aiming that great destined power towards the very constraints that came with it. He was convinced he would succeed, and she’d never known him to be a quitter. But somewhere within she still knew the day would come when even his stubbornness would not be enough to keep them together. One day, he would forget about her, and she would be left to pine for someone forever out of her reach. She entangled a hand in his hair and deepened the kiss. That day was not yet here.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this isn't quite canon compliant. I just wanted Illidan to be happy for five minutes, and being told he's a shitty druid kinda puts a damper on that so instead I'm having him go off to study the arcane as he wants to do. In spite of this I still imagine this going the same way that canon goes in the end, which means no happy ending for these two :( but as I haven't written that part, feel free to imagine otherwise!</p>
<p>There's really not a lot of fic for this pairing but I absolutely love them and so felt that I had to write something for them, even though it's not very long. If you liked this please don't be afraid to leave a comment. I would love to hear what people think, and would also love to hear if anyone else really likes this pairing!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>